Our World

Thursday 24 November 2016

2016 Thanksgiving and politics

English: Elias Cornelius Boudinot (1835 – 1890) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 2016 Thanksgiving day should not only be a day for saying thanks for everything we get, but should also be a day when we contemplate and seriously think about the way how we are showing are thankfulness to god to others in the world.

New Jersey Congressman, president of the Continental Congress, director of the U.S. Mint and American Bible Society's first president Elias Boudinot is one of the forgotten founding fathers of the New World. In part Americans should be thankful also to him for having that American national holiday Thanksgiving.

Rooted in a passion for God's Word Elias Boudinot declared before the U.S. House of Representatives that prayer and thanks were due to God for America's existence. According to the Annals of Congress, Boudinot stated that he

"could not think of letting the session pass over without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings he had poured down upon them."

Although many members of the House dismissed his proposal, Boudinot stuck by it. Almost two weeks later, President George Washington warmed to the idea.
On October 3, 1789, Washington distributed a Thanksgiving Proclamation to the Governors of the States, calling for the

"institution of a national day of prayer and thanksgiving"

and for

"Thursday, the 26th day of November…to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."

In Scriptures thankfulness is prominent and rabbi Jeshua asked his followers to show their gratitude to the Most High Divine Creator. One way of showing such gratitude was by not being afraid to use the Almighty God His Divine Name (Jehovah) and by letting the world know how God wants them to come close to Him and recognise Him as their heavenly Father.

Jesus asked to

"live in union with him…build your lives on him…and be filled with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:7). Thanksgiving should accompany "everything you do and say" (Colossians 3:17).

Though we may find it sometimes very difficult to live in this world, the Apostle Paul asked us to

"Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Yes, in all circumstances ... also in times when we do have it not easy, or when we do have much pain. Being troubled with certain illnesses can bring lots of pains to endure every day. Do know in the Word of God, the bible you may find strength and you shall be able to find the strength to conquer that pain.

Living in this world, not being of it, we also should feel thankfulness not just as one of multiple good qualities that believers should have, but a core impulse of human worship. In Romans 1, where Paul describes the depravity of the Gentiles, he first establishes the idea that God's nature can be seen in creation, and so humans have no excuse.

"They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him" (Romans 1:21).

Today lots of people do not give honour to the Divine Creator, and do not want to know about The God of gods.

Do you know Him? Do you give Him the full respect?

God has blessed us with all the things around us and with the life we do have. We should know He provided the Way to Him, by means of His only begotten beloved son, who was willing to offer himself for us. How much do we want to give to God? Are we willing to do His Will, like Jesus did His Will? Are we willing to recognize His grace and to respond with a thank-You?

Do we want to show our thankfulness to God in the way we live and in the way we go about with others? Are you as such aware that your sayings, your way of voting or choosing for some one, shows your attitude to life but also your attitude to the universe of the Divine Creator.

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Additional reading

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2016 American Bible survey

A presentation edition of a GOD'S WORD bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you look at the current political situation in the United States of America you may wonder how it became possible such votes where cast when so many americans say they are Christian.

This year's State of the Bible survey, conducted by American Bible Society and Barna Group, reports that 51 percent of Americans believe politics would be more civil if politicians engaged in regular Bible reading.
This indicates that lots of Americans also believe their politicians do not read often the bible. when they would do so politicians would be more effective, believes 53% of Americans.

American Bible Society President & CEO Roy Peterson believes God's Word has a key role at this pivotal moment for American culture.

"As America is shaken by skepticism, this is the time to renew hope in the promises of God's Word,"

Peterson says.

"When people are battling extreme violence, poverty and oppression, this is our time to open the healing words of Scripture."

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Saturday 12 November 2016

Voted against their system

Donald Trump enters the Oscar De LA Renta Fashion Show, New York. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the United States of America we could see something which we in Europe should take as a serious warning. A few years back Belgium had already such a warning. That "black Sunday" the extreme right party Vlaams Blok gained a lot of votes. Undemocratic they became cast away, having the other parties creating a "blok sanitair".

That party and its present sibling Vlaams Belang used and still use the same fearmongering as Donald Trump, and are made of the same wood as Nigel Farage a.o.

While Clinton may have won a majority sliver of the popular vote, Americans have revolted against their own political culture, against the entire American political class. They saw in Donald Trump the man who was daring to open all the wounds of the system and to throw with mud to all who belonged to the establishment. This was clearly an anti-establishment vote.

From the outcome we should learn and prepare ourselves so that it not spread like a cancer, but shall be a virus we shall be able to control.

For the Americans the problem is that their system is rigid. The system is rigged, and it is rigged particularly against American working people. the way of giving mandates is also not democratic. It is really getting high time for the United states and for Great Britain to appoint the places according to the percentage of votes.

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Please read:

Mark Collins: Terry Glavin on Trump and Why: “God help us all” or…

Preceding

Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory

Additional reading:

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Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory

Man belongs to the animal species which hunt and has to be alert. It has to be prepared to take flight.

“If the first thing you hear about a topic is something that’s associated with fear, that will often suppress the rational part of the brain. It will be placed into long-term memory by this more primitive part of the brain, and it turns out to be very, very difficult to dislodge that.”

says Jack Gorman.

For the 2016 election a smart businessman who is not afraid to run over corpses made a handy use out of that knowledge.

Fear is the fuel to Donald Trump’s post-factual campaign. He can allege that immigrants are violent (when they commit way fewer crimes than native-born Americans) and “inner cities” are burning (when they’re thriving), and it doesn’t matter, from a certain rhetorical perspective — the point is to activate emotions, whether it’s to motivate the alt-right for the election or Trump TV ratings after the ballots have been cast.

What’s special about fear is that it’s such a powerful, pre-conscious, pre-rational emotion. It frames your thinking before you can even think about it, regardless of how intelligent you are.

The "Make America Great Again" campaign was constructed in bringing bad news first sot that people would have enough fear to look for an other solution. Those made black for sure should than be the ones to avoid at high cost. Having told such bad things about Hillary Clinton made her the one to avoid most.
In history it is not the first time that charismatic leaders arouse fear. Those fears

"are often committed to permanent indelible memory, and they become extremely hard to dislodge, and they are easy to evoke simply by making people scared again,"

Jack Gorman says.

“So all that Trump has to do is say ‘these immigrants are going to kill you,’ and his entire message about immigration becomes immediately recalled.”

> The Neurological Reason Fearmongering Is Such a Powerful Political Tool

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Additional reading

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Thursday 3 November 2016

Air-conditioning treath and HFCs extremely powerful heat-trappers

Ozone layer gmt de (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One day the West had thought to have found the solution against an escalating threat to the climate and were pleased to change the refrigerators gases with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to save the ozone layer.

So when nations signed the Montreal Protocol in 1987 – which aimed to save the ozone layer by banning ozone-eating chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from use in aerosols, refrigerators and air-conditioning units – few questioned the idea that ozone-friendly hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) would make a great substitute.

But although HFCs did not destroy the ozone layer, they were potent greenhouse gases.
After almost 30 years, and with the manufacture of HFCs rising globally by 7 per cent each year, that mistake is about to be put right.

Seven years and requiring many determined advocates — major Western governments, the small island nation of Micronesia, poor African nations that fear drought and even starvation and persistent environmental groups reached an accord in Kigali, Rwanda, in October following the ratification by enough countries of last year’s Paris agreement broadly reducing greenhouse gases to allow it to take effect, as well as a narrower agreement to limit emissions from aircraft. It completes a trifecta of diplomatic accords aimed at keeping the rise in global temperatures below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two degrees Celsius) over the average preindustrial temperatures — a point beyond which the manifest consequences of climate change, including rising sea levels and droughts, are likely to become exponentially worse.

Despite obvious threats to their populations from rising sea levels and droughts, some developing countries like India pushed back hard, in part because their people were on the verge of being able to afford air-conditioners powered by HFCs.
Although they now make up only a small part of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, HFCs are extremely powerful heat-trappers and, if left unchecked, would make it hard not to exceed the 3.6 degree threshold. One factor driving the negotiations was the rapid growth of air-conditioning in nations like China and India.

HFCs were once seen as a technological godsend. They were developed in response to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a global agreement requiring nations and manufacturers to find a substitute for chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, then the dominant refrigerant, which was destroying the planet’s ozone layer. The chemical industry replaced that chemical with HFCs, which don’t harm the ozone layer but, as it turned out, added greatly to global warming.

The richest countries, including the United States, will freeze production and consumption of HFCs by 2018; much of the rest of the world, including China, Brazil and all of Africa, will do the same by 2024; and a few nations, including India, will have until 2028. Several newer and less harmful refrigerants are available, although they may be more expensive in the short run. The timetable will allow poorer countries to wait until prices come down. But unlike the Paris agreement, which consists of voluntary pledges, this one will be mandatory, with trade sanctions for nations that do not comply.

Mattlan Zackhras, the minister-in-assistance to the president of the Marshall Islands, said in a statement

"It may not be entirely what the islands wanted, but it is a good deal,"

and expressed his hope

"We all know we must go further, and we will go further."

Erik Solheim, executive director of the UN Environment Program, said

"This is about much more than the ozone layer and HFCs. It is a clear statement by all world leaders that the green transformation started in Paris is irreversible and unstoppable."

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Welcome

Welcome at this zone created by Marcus Ampe for the Belgian Free Christadelphians, where previous articles from the MSN Groups and Multiply are brought together and made available again to the general public. On 2012 October 26 this site came into development and new articles shall be added next to our main site and to the Christadelphian Ecclesia site: Christadelphian Ecclesia.
You are welcome at that site to find more articles.

All who want to follow Jesus/Jeshua (Yeshua/Yahsua) from Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah and wants to be united with people who sincerely want to keep to those teachings of this masterteacher are welcome to share their love for Christ and their hope for the coming Kingdom.

The names "Christadelphia" and 'Christadelphian' is compounded of two Greek words: 'christos' and 'adelphoi' and means 'brethren in Christ'.

This site is created by a Free Christadelphian only bounded to Jesus Christ. We are open to anybody who wants to share the brotherly love of Christ. Coming together by a common belief in 'the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ' (Acts 8:12).

In the older Multiply messages links to Multiply shall not always work from 2012 December 1, but you shall be able to find them by copying and pasting the title in the search machine. I have worked on re-editing those links from 2005 onwards, so that they could work in the future, but it became a to much time consuming job, so I stopped doing it after a while. (My apologies for certain links not working any more.)

Thanks for visiting us and hope to see you again.

Welkom

Wij wensen allen welkom die hier op deze pagina's terecht komen en hopen dat zij geïnspireerd mogen geraken om verder de Bijbel ter hand te nemen en zelf op onderzoek te gaan wat er in de Heilige Schrift werkelijk staat.

De namen "Christadelphia" en "Christadelphian" is een samentelling van twee Griekse woorden : "Christos" en "adelphoi" en betekent 'broer in Christus'. De Christadelphians zijn een groep van mensen die samen verbonden zijn door hun gemeenschappelijk geloof betreffende de dingen aangaande het Koninkrijk van God en de naam van Jezus Christus (Jeshua, de Messias) (Handelingen van de Apostelen 8v12).
Christadelphian mensen zouden tot een wereldwijde gemeenschap moeten behoren, wiens doel is zo trouw als mogelijke de leerstelling en voorbeeld van Jezus/Jehsua Christus te volgen, zoals het geregistreerd staat in de Bijbel.
In een wereld die vol is van onzekerheden genieten wij van een eenvoudig, rechtstreeks en logisch geloof, dat nu al vrede en voldoening aanbiedt en de belofte van het nog te komen eeuwigdurende vreugderijk: het Koninkijk van God.

Op deze site, gecreëerd door Marcus Ampe voor de Vrije Belgische Christadelphians, of Broeders in Christus, zijn in oktober 2012 de vroegere berichten uit de MSN Groepen en Multiply samen gebracht en terug zichtbaar gemaakt voor het algemeen publiek.

Meerdere linken in de vroegere artikelen zullen vermoedelijk niet werken, maar u kan de titel dan kopiëren en plakken in het "Zoek" venster om zo bij het juiste artikel te komen. Ik maakte er werk van om de artikelen vanaf 2005 terug te editen en daarin de linken te vernieuwen, zodat zij terug zouden werken. Maar dit vroeg zo veel tijd dat ik het heb opgegeven. Daarom verzoek ik mij te verontschuldigen indien u een link tegen komt die niet meer werkt.

Vanaf 26 oktober 2012 is deze website opengesteld naar het publiek en zullen er in de toekomst nog enkele artikelen bij komen. Maar de meerderheid van de teksten zullen nu geplaatst worden op de site van de Vlaamse Broeders in Christus of Christadelphians en op de kerkgemeenschapssite
Christadelphian Ecclesia.

Graag ontmoeten wij u daar voor meerdere artikelen.

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Thursday 24 November 2016

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Saturday 12 November 2016

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Thursday 3 November 2016

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